Last night BP succeeded in cutting the riser pipe and placing a cap over it. If the seal holds they will be able to pump oil out of the pipe so that less will spill into the water. The permanent solution will still be a relief well, which is due to be completed in August.

The government knew early that the Deepwater Horizon explosion could be a major disaster. On the day after the explosion, the Coast Guard estimated that a well blowout could spew 8,000 barrels of oil per day; the following day, it revised its estimate to 64,000 to 110,000 barrels per day.